With the rise in attacks against Muslims and people of colour in retaliation for the bombings, it's time to talk about a strategy for action against racist violence from ordinary people, not just the police.
The surrounding of the East London Mosque last week, we now know, was due to a bomb threat against the Muslims who attend Friday prayers. This followed a spate of threatening phone calls, emails and a tense atmosphere in the area around the mosque. One of the mosque's attendees informed me that an imam was attacked and assaulted on the street. A Muslim woman I work with was followed home openly by the community police in Tower Hamlets. In Walthamstow, I saw fresh graffiti daubed on a bus shelter saying that all Pakis should be killed.
I started hunting around on the internet for news of these attacks, surely there have been more reported around the country and the police should know about them. I found this article, which is decent. Then I got to the comments section and was absolutely amazed. Seriously, check it out, it's worth the time:
http://209.157.64.200/focus/f-news/1439265/posts
If this were a site where Muslims were expressing such vitriolic hatred for Christians or Jews, it would be subject to investigation or shut down under anti-terrorism legislation. Are we to assume that when white people say these things, it’s just letting off steam but when foreigners or brown/black people say similar things, they are psychopathic, jihadist, Islamists?
Then I thought, wait, can we really expect much more from people in the face of how our police and politicians are behaving? Where have Tony and Ian et all been when it comes to speaking out against this vigilantism? The only thing approximating it I've heard has been to implore us to get on with business, but what does that statement mean for racists and fascists? When the police advocate that brownness of skin/foreignness is punishable by death and that Jean de Menezes' murder is not going to be an isolated incident, what message does that send to those hell-bent on taking the law into their own hands? If America is anything to go by, beating up Sikhs because they are idiotically mistaken for Muslims doesn't seem too far off for Britain.
There have been many posts on Indymedia about police violence claiming that anyone can be the next victim. Strictly speaking, this is not true. The people who have the most to fear are men, and apparently women, who look brown/foreign/muslim/east African and they not only have to fear the police, but also the general white population. When a white person commits a crime, all white people are never tarred with the same brush but this is precisely the case for people of colour. This is the crux of racism, that those in power (whites) can constantly deduce people of colour to their race and hold them all accountable for the actions of four or five people who come from the same country or practice the same religion as them (or in the case of Jean de Menezes, neither of those). It is still the case in America that people of all colours feel it is expected of them to wave the American flag, to tie a yellow ribbon around their favourite tree and to generally deny their criticisms of America’s foreign policy and/or reject who they are and where they come from. As representatives of the white race and anti-racists on this side of the Atlantic, we need to do something to counteract this trend before becomes as oppressive in Britain.
Unfortunately, I've got more questions than answers regarding how to go about tackling the situation. I like the idea that gay men have used in the past, getting buff gym queens to patrol the streets around gay bars at night to thwart the plans of would-be gay bashers. Sort of like what the Black Panthers did in their communities. I don't believe that a purist non-violence stance is the only solution in an atmosphere of wanton racist violence. All I do know is that action needs to be taken to show the people of Britain who have historically felt unwelcome that all white people are not the same either.
Controlling the powers of the police and speaking out against police violence is vital work in any society. But I also argue that creating community by being there to defend the rights of people of colour to walk down the street without fear of attack from the civilian population is even more important and something we can implement immediately. It is our job as anti-racist white people to take the first step and not wait for Muslims to declare that there is a problem or ask for our help. And an all out race war will have started if we sit and wait for the Blair twins to acknowledge the existence of the extreme racism in British society that has come out in full force in the form of this backlash.
Ideas for possible action:
In America, non-Muslim women took to wearing the hijab as an act of solidarity in the face of Islamaphobic attacks post-9/11.
Starting a group that pro-actively reaches out to groups of people of colour to work collaboratively with them and develop strategies.
Increasing personal vigilance on the streets to challenge racist statements and behaviour. It is twice as strong when the challenge comes from a white person because the racists assume your skin colour means you are complicit.
More suggestions for action!?
I started hunting around on the internet for news of these attacks, surely there have been more reported around the country and the police should know about them. I found this article, which is decent. Then I got to the comments section and was absolutely amazed. Seriously, check it out, it's worth the time:
http://209.157.64.200/focus/f-news/1439265/posts If this were a site where Muslims were expressing such vitriolic hatred for Christians or Jews, it would be subject to investigation or shut down under anti-terrorism legislation. Are we to assume that when white people say these things, it’s just letting off steam but when foreigners or brown/black people say similar things, they are psychopathic, jihadist, Islamists?
Then I thought, wait, can we really expect much more from people in the face of how our police and politicians are behaving? Where have Tony and Ian et all been when it comes to speaking out against this vigilantism? The only thing approximating it I've heard has been to implore us to get on with business, but what does that statement mean for racists and fascists? When the police advocate that brownness of skin/foreignness is punishable by death and that Jean de Menezes' murder is not going to be an isolated incident, what message does that send to those hell-bent on taking the law into their own hands? If America is anything to go by, beating up Sikhs because they are idiotically mistaken for Muslims doesn't seem too far off for Britain.
There have been many posts on Indymedia about police violence claiming that anyone can be the next victim. Strictly speaking, this is not true. The people who have the most to fear are men, and apparently women, who look brown/foreign/muslim/east African and they not only have to fear the police, but also the general white population. When a white person commits a crime, all white people are never tarred with the same brush but this is precisely the case for people of colour. This is the crux of racism, that those in power (whites) can constantly deduce people of colour to their race and hold them all accountable for the actions of four or five people who come from the same country or practice the same religion as them (or in the case of Jean de Menezes, neither of those). It is still the case in America that people of all colours feel it is expected of them to wave the American flag, to tie a yellow ribbon around their favourite tree and to generally deny their criticisms of America’s foreign policy and/or reject who they are and where they come from. As representatives of the white race and anti-racists on this side of the Atlantic, we need to do something to counteract this trend before becomes as oppressive in Britain.
Unfortunately, I've got more questions than answers regarding how to go about tackling the situation. I like the idea that gay men have used in the past, getting buff gym queens to patrol the streets around gay bars at night to thwart the plans of would-be gay bashers. Sort of like what the Black Panthers did in their communities. I don't believe that a purist non-violence stance is the only solution in an atmosphere of wanton racist violence. All I do know is that action needs to be taken to show the people of Britain who have historically felt unwelcome that all white people are not the same either.
Controlling the powers of the police and speaking out against police violence is vital work in any society. But I also argue that creating community by being there to defend the rights of people of colour to walk down the street without fear of attack from the civilian population is even more important and something we can implement immediately. It is our job as anti-racist white people to take the first step and not wait for Muslims to declare that there is a problem or ask for our help. And an all out race war will have started if we sit and wait for the Blair twins to acknowledge the existence of the extreme racism in British society that has come out in full force in the form of this backlash.
Ideas for possible action:
In America, non-Muslim women took to wearing the hijab as an act of solidarity in the face of Islamaphobic attacks post-9/11.
Starting a group that pro-actively reaches out to groups of people of colour to work collaboratively with them and develop strategies.
Increasing personal vigilance on the streets to challenge racist statements and behaviour. It is twice as strong when the challenge comes from a white person because the racists assume your skin colour means you are complicit.
More suggestions for action!?
Comments
Hide the following 5 comments
Mainstream Media
27.07.2005 12:02
Here is just another example
Jonathan
Oppresion
27.07.2005 12:19
and we have also been working to support those Muslim women who view the hijab as part of man's oppression of them and do not wish to wear it anymore
A woman
Absolutely!
27.07.2005 12:32
The Voice reports that there have been over a thousand Islamophobic attacks reported since July 7th. Agree about outreach groups. At the moment am just smiling hard at every person I see who has something approaching a tan, which is making me feel a bit odd, like a positive racist. Am also talking to all my neighbours; I was already, of course, but it's a great culture where something like this happens and everyone's first reposnse is to hide behind the tv.
What price saving a fleeing muslim now? And what did the Germans do when Jewish people started saying 'Help, we're being targeted'?
a
where 2 now?
27.07.2005 12:48
As a woman who has lived happily and enjoyed living in a multi-ethnic city for many years I have noted that in recent years comments and patronsing/abusive attitudes from Muslim shopkeepers who have a problem with my culture e.g. when buying alcohol. Respectibility vs morality?
It is interesting to note that much of the 'extremism' is from the bougousie of all cultures - e.g middle class bomber blowing up a cleaner on a hackney bus!!!! Prejudice is a 2 -way street. Class war seems to be forgotten in these days of the 'pikey chav'. teh socially aspirant New State Police (religous or secular ) disguised as overpaid social workers, school truancy inspectors, housing consulants, and community leaders. Its a means of control and it is vertical - fuck we even get it in the so-called movement.
Lots to discuss that is not being addressed. Is this the failiure of the enlightenment project? An empty materialism, a failiure of rationailty and a return to metaphysical ethics? Such that will annoy sensibilities so that feelings ( and thus confrontation ) may be spared in an endless vortex of PR and spin.
emma g
Actions
27.07.2005 12:49
Alastair